Illuminated sign



A. w. STEWART AND F. 1. BoNK.

ILLUMINATED SGN.

AFPLIQATION FILED DEC 19. 19,21.

llg., mmm not. 17,1922.

patented @et l?,

ARTHUR W. STEVTAR-T AND FRANK J'. BONILVOF RIPON, VVSCONSIN. l

f ILLUMINATED SIGN.

Application flied December 19, 17921. serial No. 523,467.

T 0 @N ifi/0m 'it may concern Be itv known that we, ARTHUR W. Strunk ART and F RANK J. BONK, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Ripon, in the county of Fondv du Lac and State of ldlisconsin, have invented certain new and useful l'niproven'lents in illuminated.Signs; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof; Our invention relates to improvements in illuminated signs, and more particularly to a type of the same. involving; the use of interchangeable letters, words, or other forms of characters adaptedfor advertising pur.- poses. l Y

The principal object of our invention is to provide a. ,sign or other similar form vof advertising device of the character de,- scribed having novel means for distributing the light from a .suitable Villumina-ting Vmedium equally to the severalv sign letters, Words or characters. y.

`nother object of our inventionis to provide a sign. of the character, described having adjustable means forfeffecting the equal distributionY of light to separate sections of "the sign display, or to separate letters, words, characters or sections thereof and carries means for varyring the length, width or size of the same.

A further object of our invention is to provide a sign or a display device of the character described, and one of an extremely simplified construction and arrangement of parts, of low cost in manufacture, and of a wide range of utility.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, our invention resides in certain novel and useful construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, set forth in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying draw ings, in which Figure 1 is a frontl elevation of a preferred embodiment of a sign having therein the adjustable light means.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 8--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view of one of the light adjusting elements or means, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail,

wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding 'parts in the several views thereof, 'the numeral 10 indicates a sign box or housing, made of sheet metal or somesuitablematerial and preferably rectangular in form, the same being divided longitudinally by! a horizontal partition 11 to provide an upper compartment 12 and a lower compartment 13, lthe open front sides ofy both compartments being each provided with closure frames 14 and 15, the frame v14 being hinged as at 16, to the front edge of the partition 11 yfor a vertical swinging movement, and theframel" hinged as at 17, 'to the front edge of the bottom wall of the lower compartment. i Theinner edgesfof the side andendbars or ,rails forming they open franjiesv 14 and 15 arey giooved, as at`18` and 19 respectively, from the inner'sides 'of the frames for the reception of transparent closures or panes of glass'20 and 21, andy for interchangeable sign plates orshe'ets 22l and 23 upon which are arranged any suitable. advertising mat- "ter desiredl Thesesgnsj or 'platesr 22 and 23 'are preferably .transparent for instance of celluloid, for the illuminating of the same from sets of electric lamps 24 and 25 located in equidistantly spaced relation within the compartments 12 and 13, respectively. The sign plates or sheets 22 and 23 are further mounted in frames 26 and 27, respectively, which are to be removably fitted into the grooves 18 and 19 of the closure frames 14 and 15 in rear of the glass panes 2O and 21, the frames being swung to open position for such purpose.

The frames 14 and 15 are held in normally closed position by means of a spring tensioned detent 28 carried in the under faces of the top wall of the upper compartment and in the partition wall 11 forming the top of the lower compartment 13, and which are adapted to engage and disengage complemental recesses formed in the top edges of each of the frames 14 and 15.

Hinged to the rear wall of each compartment, as indicated at 29 and 30, are a series of partitions 31 and 32, preferably formed of sheet metal, one disposed medially between adjacent pairs of lamps 24 and 25, respectively, and the same are of an area slightly less than the cross-sectional area of the compartments 14 and 15. Mounted on each of the partitions 31 and 32 are adjust- 4able partition plates 33 and 34, respectively,

Vio

the same comprising metal plates having their upper and lower edges folded, as at B5 and 36, to provide channel ways in sliding engagement with the upper and lower edges of the partitions 3l and 32,

ln the use oit the device or sign, sign plates are positioned within the frames 14 and l5,-l

as hereinbe'ore explained, and the partitions 31 and 32 are swung to positions corresponding to the division lines `or spaces between the letters,r words or characters arranged on the sign plates, so that, when the frames are closed, the light from the lamps 24 and 25 will be directed through the proper section or compartment of thesig'n plates, the adjustable partition plates vand M'being adjusted. on the hinged. plates land 32a-fon respondingly forthe angular vdisposition of the latter with respect to their norma] transverse positions, and in a manner to .completely close one compartment section from the other. j 4" 'y It is well understood that while the devvice or sign haslbeen describedand illus trated herein in specific terms and details of constructionv and arrangement,4 various changes in and ymodifications thereof may be resorted to withoutv departing from the spirit of the invention, orscope ofthevclaims appended hereto.. j n

. Having thus 'fully described'our invention, what weclaim as new, and desirev to secure lby Letters rPatent is 1. A si box having anopenfs'ilde, interchangeable4 transparent' plates vadapted to close said open side, lamps equidistantly spaced within said box, partitions hingedly connected to the rear wall oit said box and adapted to he adjusted transversely of the said box, and said partitions adapted to he adjusted to a length greater than the Width of said box for directing the light from said y lamps to portions of said sign plates.

2. In a sigma housing having an open front side, interchangeable transparent sign plates adapted to close said open side,- lights spaced equidistantly within vsaid housing", and movable partitions arranged between each of said lamps and adjustable to direct the light'from said lamps to `complveiuental portions ot'ksaid sign plate and correspondingly for portions of the latternof varying sizes.- f

ln a sign, a housing having an open front side, interchangeable transparent sig-n plates adapted toclose said open side, lamps equally spaced-within said housing, and ex# tensibletransversel'j7` disposedl partitions hingedly mounted within said housing 'and ybetiveenjsaid lamps and movablev to direct the light fromsaid lamps to complemental portions of said sign plate and correspondingly Vfor portions'of the latter of varying sizes.

In testimony ythat we claim vthe foregoing we have hereunto set our handsy at Ripon, in the countyof Fond du Lac and State of Wisconsin. j j

\ ARTHURW. STEWART. FRANK :BiO-NK., 

